Ripple to the Future
by bttf4444
Summary: Marty and Doc take a trip one week in the future. The DeLorean malfunctions, and they end up trapped for over a day. This is when Doc discovers what happens if you stay in the future for over 24 hours. This will be a shortish story.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Back to the Future.**

_January 18, 1986  
12:00 PM PST_

Seventeen-year-old Marty McFly was resting on his bed, as he was feeling tired. His girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, was at Lone Pine Mall with some of her friends - and Doc was planning a family trip with his wife, Clara, and their two boys. The boys' names were Jules and Verne - who were named after their favourite author, Jules Verne.

Marty sighed to himself, as he thought of Doc's family. While he was happy that Doc did manage to find love, he couldn't help but long for the days when Doc lived alone in the garage. He knew he shouldn't be selfish, but he liked having Doc to himself.

Suddenly, the telephone beside his bed began to ring. He was the only one home at this time, and he wondered who was calling. He sighed, as he answered the phone.

"Yo," Marty replied, as he picked the receiver. He wondered if it might be one of his buddies from their rock band, The Pinheads. He had just written a new song.

"Hey, Marty," called out a familiar voice. "If you don't have any plans for right now, I was wondering if you might be able to come over. I really need you to run an errand with me. I hope it's okay with you. I'm really not meaning to impose or anything."

"Yeah, all right," Marty said, sighing. "I guess I could come over for a little while. I hope it's not going to be for too long, though. I am really feeling tired right now. It was a rather stressful week at school, I guess. I was really hoping to relax."

"It shouldn't take very long," Doc replied. "I do still have plans to take Clara and the boys on a little trip. It is just that I really need something that won't be out until next week. I guess you could guess what I'm trying to tell you. Can you come over?"

"All right, Doc," Marty replied, as he figured the errand would involve time travel. "I will be right over. There's nobody else home right now. I guess I'll see you soon."

"Thank you, Marty," Doc replied, gratefully. "This is really a gift that I decided to pick up for Verne. He actually scored a 100 percent on his test, so I decided to give him a treat. Anyway, I guess I'll be seeing you in about ten minutes or so. See you later!"

After Marty hung up the phone, he stretched his arms. He figured that travelling one week in the future wouldn't be too bad. However, he may have to avoid his younger self. He wasn't sure whether his older self would be in the future, or not.

He began to wonder why Doc couldn't just wait a week, like everyone else. After all, it could be a pretty good lesson in patience for Verne. He could not quite understand why Doc suddenly decided to use time travel for such a frivolous purpose.

Marty reached for his skateboard, as he started to take off for the Brown's house. He hoped that the trip to the future would be a quick one. He was feeling very tired.

oooooooooo

By the time Marty reached Doc's home, he was feeling nervous. What if there were no older versions of Marty and Doc, and they were presumed to be missing? It was quite unsettling, as his parents would most likely ground him - or, worse yet, forbid him to spend time with Doc. This was one thought he really did not wish to ponder.

"It's great to see you, Marty," Doc gushed, as soon as Marty showed up. "I usually don't use the time machine for such minor purposes, but Verne worked so hard on his studies. He sometimes feels very insecure about not being as smart as Jules."

"Yeah, I know what that's like," Marty replied, nodding. "So what are we planning to pick up exactly? Is it a Nintendo game? Verne sure loves playing video games."

"That's exactly what I had on mind," Doc replied, smiling. "Anyway, Clara just baked some coffee cake, and I figured you would love to eat with us. Some food could help you feel more awake and alert. Anyway, how does that sound to you, Marty?"

"Oh, I would love that, Doc!" Marty gushed. "The coffee cake smells scrumptious. It is always a pleasure to join you folks for meals. I am, in fact, feeling quite hungry."

"Hey, Daddy," Jules asked, as he stepped into the kitchen. "Why don't I get a little present everytime I get a 100 percent on my test? It's really not fair, Daddy!"

"Look, honey," Doc replied, as he scooped up Jules, "your brother is not as gifted as you are. He had to study hard to earn that 100 percent. Your teacher had suggested that I skip you up ahead a grade or two, but I told her that I wouldn't do that."

"Why not, Daddy?" Jules asked, pleadingly. "I can handle fourth grade. Anyway, I study for my tests, too. Verne needs to study more, and not goof off so much."

"You enjoy school," Doc reminded his son. "Verne doesn't so much. You and Verne have different talents, and it's not fair to treat you as if you were really the same."

"I guess," Jules said, sighing. "Why won't you let me enter fourth grade, though. It would be wonderful to actually be in a higher grade than other kids of my age."

"Honey, there's your social life to think about," Doc pointed out. "When I was your age, my teacher also felt I could be skipped ahead a grade or two. My parents did decide it wasn't really the best move to make. I was happy about their decision."

"Let's have brunch, now," Clara suggested, as she stepped into the kitchen. "Jules, your father is just looking out after your best interest. Kids who are skipped ahead are usually not treated very well. We don't want you to be treated badly, honey."

"It's just not fair, though," Jules whined. "Why do the smart kids get discriminated against? Why do so many people act like being intelligent is such a bad thing?"

"I think a lot of it might have to do with jealousy," Marty explained. "There were times when I did envy your dad, because I wished I could be as smart as him. I agree it's wrong to act hostile towards intelligence, though. It is a real shame."

"That really sums it up," Doc agreed, as everyone headed into the dining room. "It is ironic, when you think about it. Many people are jealous of the intellectual types, and the intellectual types are often treated badly by their peers. It's seems so strange."

As everyone took their seats at the table, Marty thought about the conversation they just had. While Jules and Verne got along most of the time, Jules often gave Verne a hard time about not being as smart as him. The prejudice actually went both ways.

oooooooooo

"Are you ready, Marty?" Doc asked, as soon as the table was cleared off. "We'll just go seven days into the future. This would be January 25. It should not take us more than an hour to pick up the game, and then return to this date. It should be quick."

"Why do you need me to come with you, though?" Marty asked, confused. "I mean, it would be really nice for us to have another time travel adventure together, but this is not exactly a long trip. I'm very worried that we might run into our other selves."

"To be honest, this was the other reason I wanted to take the trip," explained Doc. "I remember that we ended up in this alternate reality, during that time we had jumped ahead by one minute. It turned out there was a problem with the flux capacitor."

"I guess I would be curious to find out," Marty said, quietly. "What if we turn up to be missing for a week, though. My parents wouldn't be very happy about it, you know."

"Don't worry, Marty," Doc said, as he headed to the garage. "We plan to come back here right after we pick up the game. We would undo everything. So everything will be fine. Just stick with me at all times, and everything will absolutely be fine."

"Well, you're the doc, Doc," Marty replied, sighing. As Doc opened up the DeLorean doors, Marty added, "It will really be nice to spend a little of time alone with you."

"It was pretty agonizing," commented Doc, softly, "spending all those years without you. I guess I wanted to use this as another excuse for us to spend time together."

Marty tried to relax, as he stepped into the DeLorean. After Doc stepped in, he set the destination for JAN 25 1986. Marty wondered what may happen within a week.

"I love spending time wih you, Doc," Marty commented, as he flashed Doc a lopsided smile. "I don't feel as tired as I did before. That coffee cake was delicious, and I love spending time with you. I am really happy that you invented the time machine."

"I'm glad you appreciate it," Doc replied, smiling. "We'll just head over to Hill Valley Park, and then we'll head into the future. This should be a quick trip, I believe."

Marty smiled at Doc, as his older friend drove off to Hill Valley Park. Marty felt quite jittery, as he wondered what would be happening within one week.

"All right, Marty," Doc warned, as he began hovering the DeLorean, "brace yourself for temporal displacement." Marty slowly took in a deep breath, as Doc accelerated the DeLorean to 88 miles per hour. The DeLorean then broke the time barrier. 


	2. Chapter 2

_January 25, 1986  
12:00 PM PST_

Marty took in a deep breath, as the DeLorean broke the time barrier. Just then, the lights inside the display panels quickly burnt out. Marty was horrified as to what the problem could actually be. Was this going to be easy at all to fix?

"Damn!" muttered Doc, as he pounded his hands on the display panels. Doc began pressing a few buttons, and then flipping a few switches - but nothing quite worked as it should. "Damn! Damn! Damn!" repeated Doc, as he became very frustrated.

"Don't tell me we're going to be stuck here, Doc!" Marty groaned. "I'm feeling very tired. I want to lie down and take a nap, but I really can't go home."

"I'm sorry, Marty," Doc said, as he gently laid his hand on Marty's shoulder. "At least the engine is running. I'll tell you what we'll do. We might just drive to my place, and we'll see if my older self is there. You can take a little rest in the guest room."

"What about my other self, though?" Marty asked, worriedly. "I can't be too mad at you, Doc - but I still don't really understand why you needed me to come with you. Was it only because you wanted us to take another trip together. I mean, I guess I can appreciate that you wanted to spend time with me - but I'm really not up to it."

"Yeah, I guess this was it," Doc replied, sheepishly. "As much I enjoy the fact that I have a wife and kids, now - I really did miss spending time alone with you. I guess, looking back, it is a little risky for both of us to be just one week in the future."

"You know, I would appreciate our adventure more," Marty commented, "if I wasn't feeling exhausted. I suppose I was really hoping to spend a quiet afternoon, simply being at home. This has just been a very stressful week for me, you know."

"I'll bring you to our house, Marty," Doc said, gently. "I'll let you sleep for as long as you need, and it really shouldn't take me too long at all to replace these lights inside of the display panals. This should actually take me about a few hours tops."

"Well, you're the doc, Doc," Marty said, stretching. "I certainly hope my older self is here. That, at least, my parents won't be worried sick about me. After all, they sure remember you as Calvin Klein's uncle - so the last thing we need to to get them too upset with you by causing me to disappear for a week. That would be so awful!"

"Just relax, Marty," Doc suggested, comfortingly, as he drove out of the park. "If we should happen to run into your parents, I'll be sure to give them a great explanation of how you were gopne for a week. You'll be fine, Marty. So don't worry."

Marty took in a deep breath, as he tried not to worry. It was a little cramped inside of the DeLorean, but he tried his best to relax. He still felt a little jittery.

oooooooooo

As soon as Doc drove over to the Brown's house, Marty stretched. He could barely keep his eyes open, as it was. As the two of them walked up to the door, Doc then pressed the doorbell. Within a few seconds, another Doc answered the door.

"Where did you come from?" the other Doc asked, in astonishment. "Did the two of come here from an alternate reality? Is there something you need help with?"

"You mean, you don't remember us?" Marty asked, confused. "A week ago, you and I went one week into the future to pick up a video game for Verne. We sure need to replace the lihts that were in the display panels, and I am dead tired!"

"Great Scott!" gasped the Doc that was native to the era. "It would be today! I don't remember anything much about my trip of last week. Anyway, Marty, you sure look tired. Why don't you go take a nap in guest room, and then you'll be fine?"

"You remember nothing about your trip from last week?" asked the visiting Doc. "I guess, once I have the lights replaced, and we head back to last week - you might then start remember everything. Anyway, I hope to be back in a few hours."

"I just hope you can get everything fixed," Marty commented. "Say, Doc, what if we never make it back to last week? Would our future selves eventually disappear? I'm worried that, if we stay here too long, we could have one of these paradoxes."

The two Docs glanced at each other, then the visiting Doc said, "You know, I haven't given that very much thought. Theoretically, it would happen after a week of staying here - when we actually catch up with the ages of our older selves. Actually, it might happen at any time. Anyway, just try not to worry. Just try to have a good rest."

"Well, you're the doc, Doc," Marty replied, as he took in a deep breath. "I guess I'll go into the guest room, and catch some sleep." Turning to the local Doc, he added, "So, does Verne have his video game? That's the whole reason we came from."

After a brief pause, the local Doc replied, "All right, I guess it really won't hurt to tell you. Verne does have his video game. Still, I can't remember any of the specifics of the visit from last week. It can possibly be this self-correcting mechanism - sort of a cosmic force at work - that could help to prevent a time paradox from happening."

"Whoa, Doc, this is heavy," Marty replied. "Well, I'm going into the guest room, now. Can you please do me a favour, Doc - and not wake me up? That is, unless we have an emergency? I just need to sleep for as long as I possibly can, you know."

"Sure, that won't be a problem," the local Doc replied. Turning to his counterpart, he added, "I would help you with fixing up the DeLorean, but I am afraid doing so could possibly create a time paradox. After all, I am your older self from one week later."

As Marty stepped into the guest room, he took off all of clothes. He went to put on a pair of fleece pajamas, and he crawled into bed. Within moments, he was asleep.

oooooooooo

Within an hour later, the Marty who was native to January 25 showed up by Doc's home - along with his girlfriend, Jennifer. The two of them had just eaten lunch at Francesca's Italian Diner. Marty had such a good feeling about his future.

"Marty! Jennifer!" Doc exclaimed, as he opened the door. "It's so nice that the two of you made it. Clara took the boys over to the YMCA, so I'm by myself right now."

"You and Clara do have a wonderful family," Jennifer commented. "Jules and Verne are both so adorable, even if they do sometimes fight. At least, Verne was gracious enough to share his new video game with his brother. There are such cute boys!"

"By the way," Doc added, "please do not enter the guest room. It will be important for you two to remember. When Clara returns with the boys, we can watch a great movie together. The boys have really been wanting to watch Teen Wolf."

"Oh, I love Teen Wolf!" Jennifer gushed. "Any movie with Michael J Fox in it is good, in my opinion. That actor is very awesome, and he reminds me so much of Marty!"

"I would love that, too," Marty replied, smiling. As he stepped into the kitchen, he added, "Whoa! I guess Clara made some rice crispy squares. Can we have some right now? These look very gooey and delicious. I love rice crispy squares!"

"Sure, I guess I really don't see the harm in it," Doc replied. "She even made three batches of it. Make sure you both save some, for when Clara returns with the boys. By the way, we're planning on having some chicken and stuffing tonight."

"Oh, that sounds good!" Marty gushed, as he grabbed a spatula to serve of some rice crispy squares. "I'm definitely having supper with you folks tonight, then."

"Yeah, count me in, too!" Jennifer added. "Both of my parents have a meeting they have to attend tonight, and I must say that Clara is such a wonderful cook."

"It's always a pleasure having the two of you over," Doc said, warmly. "Well, I'm going to head upstairs to take a nap. Be sure to let me know when Clara and the boys return. Also, don't answer the telephone - just let the machine pick up."

"I wonder why Doc doesn't want us in the guest room," Jennifer whispered, after Doc headed upstairs. "It seemed like a rather strange thing for him to say to us."

"I'm sure he has a good reason for it, Jennifer," Marty reminded his friend. "Come to think of it, I really wonder what is special about the guest room - and why Doc wants us to stay out. Doesn't he usually keep things hidden in a more secure room?"

"I don't know about you," Jennifer said, smiling slyly, "but curiosity is rather getting the better of me. I wonder if we have some sort of a visitor, that Doc really doesn't want us to know about. I'm sure, whoever he is, he's quite harmless."

Marty flashed his girlfriend a lopsided smile, as the two of them made their way over to the guest room. As Marty quietly opened the door, he was shocked to see another version of him - who was sleeping peacefully and soundly in the bed. 


	3. Chapter 3

_January 25, 1986  
1:30 PM PST_

"Well, where did this other you come from?" Jennifer asked, stunned. "I sure didn't expect to see that coming. Where do you suppose this other you came from?"

"I really have no idea," Marty said, shrugging. "That seems so odd, though. I wonder if this could be myself from the future. Of course, this could also be another me from an alternate reality. It's amazing to think of how many versions of myself there are."

Marty quickly jumped up, as he heard the front door opening. He noticed Clara had just returned, with Jules and Verne. Marty made his way into the living room, as he prepared to put the Teen Wolf videotape into the VCR. He was still stunned.

"It's so great that the two of you could make it," Clara said, as she stepped into the living room. "So what movie are we going to watch today? You know, I think it is so nice to be able to watch stories on the screen - even though I still prefer books."

"Doc suggested that we could watch Teen Wolf today," Marty explained. As the boys began to whoop and cheer, he added, "He figured how the boys would be so excited about watching the movie. It even stars Michael J Fox, who really happens to bear a striking resemblance to myself. It's almost a lot like watching myself on TV."

"I was recently told that I bear a striking resemblance to Mary Steenburgen," Clara commented, stunned. "I was more shocked, when I actually found out how she had played the love interest of a time traveller - who will later on become his wife - in a movie called Time After Time. I really have to see that movie, one of these days."

"I'm sure we can arrange for that to happen," Marty said, smiling. "For now, though, let's watch Teen Wolf. I really understand how the boys have been wanting to watch this, for quite a little while, now. I think it's great how the boys love Michael J Fox!"

"He even has that same adorable dimple in his left cheek," Jennifer pointed out, with a smile. Jennifer reached for the remote control, as she began to turn the video on.

As this movie started, though, Marty could barely concentrate. He couldn't help but wonder where the other version of himself came from. He needed to find out more about his other self. He was interested in learning about other versions of himself.

oooooooooo

As Marty woke up, he stretched his arms. He was real surprised to discover how he wasn't in his own bedroom, then he realized that he was sleeping in the guest room of the Browns' house. He saw that the clock on the wall read 5:30 PM.

"Man, did I ever sleep!" Marty mumbled to himself. He wondered if Doc managed to do any repairs on the display panels, yet. He slowly left the bedroom, as he headed towards the living room. To his surprise, he saw another version of himself. It could be himself from one week in the later. This sight was very surreal to him.

"Who are you?" Marty Two asked, quite stunned. "So where did you come from? Are you here from an alternate reality? Just a couple months ago, I was in that alternate reality where I was my own father - and I also had a twin named Artie."

Marty One swallowed, as he was real familiar with that reality. "Actually, I'm you," Marty One explained, "from one week ago. Doc and I both came here to purchase that video game for Verne, then the time circuits had all died out."

"Whoa, this is heavy!" breathed Marty Two. "I quite vaguely remember taking a trip one week into the future to pick up that video game for Verne - but I don't anything else about the event. Gee, it's so hard to believe that you're me, from last week."

"Listen, Marty," called out Doc, as he stepped into the living room. He then glanced between each Marty, as he added, "I can see how you woke up! Clara should have supper on the table very soon, and my counterpart should be back quite shortly. It appears that it will take him a little longer than expected to repair the panels."

"Perfect," muttered Marty One. "Just perfect!" After he sniffed a little, he added, "At least supper smells delicious. It's strange to think I would be having the same meal twice. Well, I just hope we aren't stuck here. That could be a real disaster."

"Well, Marty, try not to fret," Doc suggested, as he gently placed his hands on Marty One's shoulders. "You did have a very stressful week, so I believe you should really try to relax your mind a little. Just trust everything to me... to both of us."

"Well, you're the doc, Doc," Marty One said, as he managed a smile. "I did have a pretty good rest. I feel nice and refreshed, now. I guess I'll just try to relax, and I can hardly wait for supper to be ready. I am starting to feel a little hungry."

"Hey, Marty," called out Jennifer, as she walked into the room. She glanced between the two Martys, grinned wickedly, then said, "Man, am I one very lucky girl!"

"Jennifer!" called out Marty One, as he went to hug his girlfriend. "It's just nice to see you! I actually came here from last week, when Doc and I decided to pick up a video game from Verne. However, something quite bad happened to the display panels."

"We can all sleep in the guest room tonight," Jennifer suggested, smirking. "It would be neat to have the both of you sleeping on each side of me. Doesn't this sound like an awesome idea? Hell, I won't even be cheating on you - because you are both the same person! Who knows! Maybe fate has actually planned for this to happen!"

The two Martys glanced at each other, as they rolled their eyes. Marty One figured it sounded rather silly to be jealous of your slightly older self, but he was not sure that the idea of sharing Jennifer with another version of himself sounded as appealing.

"Dinner's ready!" called out Clara, from the kitchen. As the two Martys and Jennifer headed into the kitchen, Clara added, "I'm glad you woke up in time for supper."

"Supper smells great, Clara," Marty One replied, approvingly. He glanced over at the counter, and added, "Oh, I see you made some rice crispy squares. That will sure be nice to have for dessert. I can hardly believe I'm having supper with my older self."

Just then, Jules and Verne stepped into the kitchen. They were both so wide-eyed, as they glanced between the two Martys. Marty One suddenly felt very nervous.

"Why don't the two of you sit on each side of me?" Jennifer suggested, smirking. "I mean, this really isn't something we can do everyday. So we may just as well take advantage of this opportunity, when we can. How does that sound, Martys?"

The two Martys, once again, rolled their eyes - but they both then shrugged, as they took their seats on both sides of Jennifer. Marty One decided there wasn't really any harm of humouring his girlfriend. He was suddenly quite flattered that Jennifer loved him so much. This whole idea seemed very strange to him, nonetheless.

"Hi, everyone!" called out the slightly younger Doc, as he stepped inside. "It rather looks like I made it just in time for supper." As he glanced at the two Martys sitting on each side of Jennifer, he added, "It looks like both Martys are awake, now."

"All right, everyone," called out Clara, as she sat at the table. "Let's say grace now, and then we can eat." After everyone held hands, Clara prayed, "Dear Lord, please bless this meal - as we now sit down to eat. Also, thank you for everything that You have provided for us. Please bless our family and bless our friends. Amen."

"Amen!" everyone repeated, as Doc and Clara began to serve themselves. Marty One could hardly believe he'll be having the same meal one week later. He really hoped that Doc would be able to fix up the display panels very soon.

"Jennifer and I are two rather lucky women," Clara commented, affectionately. "We each get to sit between two versions of the love of our lives. I quite think we should do this more often! I'm almost glad that the time machine stranded you both here!"

"It's best that we not make a habit out of it," Doc One replied. "This can be rather risky on the space-time continuum. I certainly hope I could get the display panels repaired later this evening. I'm not quite sure how I'd feel about sleeping with my other self. Anyway, if we stay here too long, we could risk creating a paradox."

"My other self is right," Doc Two said, nodding. He then chuckled, as he added, "Oh, of course I would say that - since he's also me. I am sure that interacting with older and younger versions of yourself can be considerably different from interacting with alternate versions. It's not like one of us came here from an alternate reality."

Marty One tried to clear his mind, as he tried to enjoy his dinner. He figured how he should be pretty used to strange by now, but this had to be the strangest of strange events he had ever encountered. He wanted to go back to last week already. 


	4. Chapter 4

_January 25, 1986  
10:30 PM PST_

Marty One was getting quite nervous, as he was playing Scrabble with his other self and Jennifer. It was already getting late at night, and the Doc from last week hasn't returned. He certainly never expected the trip to be taking quite this long.

"I am having very much fun with this," Marty One commented. Turning to his older self, he added, "It looks like you are doing great. You'd better watch out, though. I might soon catch up with you. It's really a shame that many of my favourite words are just too long for this game. Words like 'serenity' and 'euphoria', for instance."

"I guess today is just my lucky day," Marty Two replied, smiling. "You're not doing too bad yourself, though, so you might have a real chance to beat me. It's so nice that the word 'awesome' was used tonight, though. That's such a great word!"

"This actually is not fair," Jennifer said, as she playfully stuck out her tongue. "You're both the same person, so you actually have twice the chance of winning over me. So you sure do have an unfair advantage. I don't know how I let you rope me into this."

"Well, we were getting real bored," Marty Two replied, "so we just decided to play a game together. As I don't remember being my younger self, I can't cheat. Anyway, it's just a game - and it's really nothing to take so seriously. Let's just have fun!"

"Besides," Marty One added, smiling, "you are the one who wants the both of us to sleep with you tonight. If we can humour you with that plan, then we think you can humour us wih this game. So that's only fair, as far as we're concerned."

"Oh, I know that," Jennifer said, smiling. "I was only playing around with you two. I must admit that this is pretty fun, being able to do things with both versions of you. As much as we're having so much fun, though - I just hope Doc can get the display panels fixed soon. I can imagine this is very risky for the space-time continuum."

Almost as if on cue, Doc One had returned. "Well, gang," Doc One was saying, "this is taking me a lot longer than I figured it would. I am pretty exhausted, now - and I should turn in soon. I'll get up early tomorrow, and see what else I can work out."

"Wait a minute, Doc," Marty One protested. "Are you telling me that we're going to have to sleep here, tonight? I'm just not sure if I can even get a good rest tonight. I'm afraid that something terrible might happen, while I'm sound asleep."

"Just try not to fret, Marty," Doc One replied. "The worst thing that could happen is that our older selves may fade away from existence. I'm not sure when that might happen, but I'm sure it's not going to have a negative affect on ourselves."

"Well, maybe not on our physical bodies," Marty One pointed out, "but wouldn't the whole town just be in a panic. What if they decide to place me under house arrest? Then we might never be able to go back in time to last week, and my parents may not let me spend time with you, anymore. I'm afraid of what might happen!"

"Leave everything to me, Marty" Doc One replied. "Just try to rest easy tonight, and we should be able to have everything fixed tomorrow. I'll also think of a good cover story that should be able to convince your parents why you were gone."

"Well, you're the doc, Doc," Marty One replied, as he went to hug his older friend. "I guess you really know what you're doing. This is still pretty scary for me to think of, though. I suppose it could be worse, though - like if this happened as late as 2015."

"Right," Marty Two added, "and we would just be presumed dead for thirty years. If we made a sudden appearance, people would wonder where we came from. If they were take out thumbprints, they would be quite amazed by how we didn't age - and they might ship us off to a lab or something. So this could definitely be worse."

"Good night, everyone," Doc One called out, as he turned to head upstairs. "By the way, don't stay up too late. I really hope we can we can be able to leave tomorrow morning. Like you, I want to get out of here, before the ripple effect catches up."

"Good night, Doc," Marty One called out. He swallowed deeply, and then he turned to Jennifer and said, "Okay, Jennifer, I think it's your turn. You really are doing good."

"Thank you," Jennifer said, smiling. "This is sure fun, being able to interact with you like this. When we're done with the game, we should maybe turn in soon. I just had so much fun with this whole thing. Well, now I'll see if I could try to beat you two!"

oooooooooo

"Man, I can't believe I'm going to sleep with myself, tonight," Marty One commented, as he turned to his slightly older self. "I guess Jennifer quite wishes to sleep between the two of you. I'm not sure about you, but this will be a very surreal experience!"

"Oh, what do you mean you're not sure about me?" Marty Two asked, laughing. "I'm you, silly! I can't believe Jennifer roped us into that plan. At least, we won't be doing the deed with her. I guess this still feels strange for me. We will really be humouring her, though - and I guess we might as well do this, to keep her happy."

"I can't believe this!" Marty One said, with a nervous laugh. "I am actually standing here and talking to myself, while Jennifer is making some hot cocoa for us. I guess you won the game tonight - and I'm really not jealous, as I know I will be you next week. Well, next week from my standpoint, I mean! Time travel is so confusing!"

"Yeah, you may say that again," Marty Two replied, as he suddenly reached out to tickle his younger self on the sides. As Marty One collapsed on the bed, Marty Two added, "Man! I could have so much fun with! I guess I am very ticklish!"

"Please! Stop it! Stop it!" Marty One protested, through helpless laughter. "Gee, am I really this ruthless? Oh, come on! Please stop! Whatever you do, please do not tickle me on the soles of my feet! Just don't forget that you and I are the same person!"

"Hey, Marty and Marty!" Jennifer called out, as she stepped into the room. "The two of you are really horsing around, I can see. Well, I made hot chocolate for the both of you - and I even made sure to put plenty of marshmallows in both."

"Thank you so much, Jenn," Marty One replied, just as his older self stopped finally tickling him. "I see you got us some chip-and-mint ice cream, too! I could really go for some ice cream, right now! I certainly wonder if we'll be able to get much sleep tonight, as this was just a day full of craziness for me. I am a little tired, though."

"I was thinking of something," Jennifer explained. "Seeing as Verne does have this video game that he wanted, I think this is real good news for you. It mean you will eventually make it back to last. It's really only a matter of when, you know."

"As much as I would just like to believe you, Jenn," Marty One said, sighing, "I'm not very sure if that's exactly true. I keep thinking that if, we stay here long enough, the older version of myself and Doc would soon fade away. That's what I'm sure worried about. I know my parents would not too kindly for my long disappearance."

"Then why would I be here?" Marty Two protested. "It just wouldn't make sense for the older Doc and myself to be here, if getting the video game for Verne caused us to be stranded one week in the future. I think you're just worrying way too much. I mean, there must be some reason why I'm here in the future - and not just you."

Marty One was stunned, as he never expected to be arguing with himself. "I guess you both are right," Marty One replied, sighing. "It's just that, well, time travel just makes me real worried. I mean, I still have nightmares about the world where Biff was real powerful and corrupt - and there was week when I had to get my parents together, because I accidentally disrupted with the meeting. It was so stressful."

"I understand what you mean," Marty Two replied. "There was also the time when I was stuck in that alternate reality where I was just my own father, and I had a twin named Arthur. I mean, it wasn't a bad reality - even if it did freak me out a little bit that I actually married my own mother. Still, it was a rather scary experience."

"Well, let's go crawl into bed, now," suggested Jennifer. "I'm sure that snuggling up under these covers can make us feel real nice and relaxed. Then we can enjoy our hot cocoa and our ice cream, as well as just enjoying each other's company."

Marty One was feeling somewhat nervous, as the three of them stepped into the bed. He was sitting on the right side of Jennifer. It was sure comfortable under the covers, and he figured that this would not be such a bad plan. It might be a rather interesting experience, in fact. He enjoyed the music that was coming from the stereo. 


	5. Chapter 5

_January 26, 1986  
11:55 AM PST_

Marty One was sure feeling nervous - as he was sitting in the living room with his counterpart, both Docs, and Clara. It felt strange that he spent the night sleeping with his older self, and even interacting with his older self felt a bit unsettling.

"Thank you so much for the coffee cake, Clara," Marty One said, smiling. "That was very scrumptious. It's always great to be able to eat with you folks. We'll sure have to try our own hand at this." Turning to Jennifer, he added, "How does that sound?"

"It sounds wonderful," Jennifer replied, smiling. "You know, it's pretty scary to think that we're both almost adults, now. I'm not sure about you, but I will sure be sad to graduate from high school. I mean, I won't miss Strickland - but it's that the idea of making such a major step in our lives is pretty scary to think about."

"I know that my life has never been quite the same," Marty Two commented, "since the time that Doc unveiled the time machine to me. It's really nice that my family is much better off, after Dad actually dared to stand up to Biff. In a few ways, though, it does seem that my life has become a little more complex. Know what I mean?"

"Okay, everyone," Doc One said, as he he spoke up, "I really think it is almost time that I head outside, and start making more reparations to the DeLorean. It's almost about noon, and I should be able to get the display panels fixed in a few hours."

"Well, Doc," Marty One said, a little nervously, "I really hope we can get that fixed in a matter of hours. It's been almost a whole day, and..." Marty One stopped short, as he really noticed a strange sight. The older versions of himself and Doc were quickly fading away, as a few items had shifted. Clara was now standing in the entryway.

"Where on earth have the two of you been?" Clara called out, stunned. "You have been missing for a little more than a week! The kids have sure been restless, and Marty's parents are very frantic! Did something happen to the time machine?"

"I was so worried that this would happen," Marty groaned. "Doc, we really can't let my parents know that I'm here! We can't exactly tell them about the time machine that you invented, and I'm so afraid that they might actually ground me!"

"Great Scott!" Doc gasped, as he glanced at the clock on the wall. "We showed up at the future at precisely noon yesterday - and it's only shortly after noon, now. It took precisely 24 hours for the ripple effect to catch up. That's why our future selves look as if they have been erased from existence. We should be able to fix this, though."

"What do you mean it looks like they've been erased from existence?" Marty asked, confused. "I just watched them fade right in front of us. If they haven't been erased from existence, then what did happen to them? Oh, Doc, I'm just very scared!"

"If my calculations are correct," Doc replied, "after I'm finally able to fix the time display panels, and we go back a week in time, then we'll eventually become our older selves. We'll then relive the day from the perspective of our older selves."

"Whoa, Doc, this is heavy!" Marty breathed. "I'm so afraid to go anywhere. I mean, how are we supposed to explain being gone for a whole week? It is not as if we can exactly let anyone else know about this time machine! In a few ways, it would have been better off if we did travel forward to the year 2015. I'm just so scared."

"Just stay right here in the house," Doc suggested, "and the DeLorean should still be in Hill Valley Park. I hope I'm not going to have to fix everything over again. Just be sure you stay in the back room, in case your parents should come looking for you."

"You're the doc, Doc," Marty replied, worriedly. He then picked up Frieday's issue of Hill Valley Telegraph, and said, "Hey, check this out! It says 'Dr. Emmett Brown and Martin McFly Missing For A Week'. Gee, maybe this town is in a messive panic."

"You were mentioned in every issue of this week's paper," Clara explained. "I knew that you two travelled a week into the future, but I was at such a loss of what to tell everyone. Also, the kids were very worried that you might be stranded or hurt, that it became necessary to explain to Verne which video game you were buying him."

Just then, the doorbell rang. Marty was very nervous, as he was worried that his parents were at the door. The two of them quickly ran into the back guest room. Marty was stunned to find that the room was neater, and the bed was made.

"Emmett! Marty!" Clara called out. "It's just Jennifer! She came here to see if Marty had shown up, yet. I'll send right in the back, and you'd better get out and finish up on that time machine. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to cover for you two."

Just then, there was a knock on the guest room door. Feeling rather nervous, Marty opened it up, to see it was Jennifer. She was actually wearing different clothes from what she was wearing earlier. She also look a look of worry on her face.

"Marty!" Jennifer cried out, as she threw her arms around her boyfriend. "I missed you all week! It was hard for me to concentrate on school, and I felt very bad how we missed our date last week. Your mother and I went out for dinner last night, as we were both real sick with worry. She even cried, as she thought you were hurt!"

"Well, we sure never meant for this to happen," Marty replied, nervously. "The time circuits just went on the fritz, and Doc has great dificulty with getting them fixed. Of course, we were trying to get them fixed within just a matter of a few hours."

"All right, you two," Doc explained. "Here is the plan. I'm going to head to Hill Valley Park, and get to work. I just hope this won't take more than a couple of hours. Now, you two are not to leave this house. Just leave everything up to Clara, okay?"

"Right, Doc," Marty agreed, quietly. "I suppose we should leave all the shades down, and try to remain as quiet as possible. Gee, Doc, I really can't say that I ever felt so imprisoned before! Well, it's great that I have Jennifer here to keep me company. At least her presense will keep me from going completely insane! Well, good luck!"

"Yeah, I hope you can get everything fixed, Doc," Jennifer added. "All of his buddies from The Pinheads are getting quite frantic, too. I mean, they were so excited about hearing the new song that Marty wrote. Everyone in this town really misses him."

"I bet they don't miss me quite so much," Doc muttered. After taking a deep sigh, he added, "When I finish fixing up the display panels, I will just drive the DeLorean over here and get you. That way, we should be able to go back without any incidents."

Marty and Jennifer watched on, as Doc headed out to the garage. Marty decided to turn on the radio, hoping that listening to some music will help make him a little bit calmer. The song Shaken by Eddie Money came blasting through the speakers.

"Marty," Jennifer asked, "out of curiousity, what was the new song that you wrote? I think anything you write has got to be good! It's rather a shame that people like Mr. Strickland feel the need to be so down on you. I can remember how very upset you were last year, when that audition judge said that you were too loud."

"What bothered me the most, though," Marty commented, "was the whole fact that he looked so much like Huey Lewis. I always figured him to be a nice fellow, and it bothered me to think that someone who looked like him could be such a big jerk!"

"Well, anyway," Jennifer said, as the two of them flopped on the bed, "what was this new song you were rather excited about showing your buddies? I really wish I could have you perform for me, but I guess that's out of the question right now."

"The song is called Harmony," Marty explained. "Do you remember how we heard, in the news, about this poor little girl who was badly abused by her mother? I was quite distraught over hearing that news, I was rather compelled to write that song."

"You are such a compassionate person, Marty," Jennifer replied, smiling. "I actually remember how you were crying, after you heard what all the little girl had to suffer through. I never understood why some people would treat their very own flesh and blood in such an inhumane manner. Parents are supposed to be protective."

"Yeah, I just agree with you," Marty replied, nodding. "This first verse that comes from the song sure goes like this: 'I've watched the news on TV last night... What they've shown was a terrible sight. There were women being used... And children being abused. I keep losing faith in humanity!' How do you like that?"

"Oh, Marty! I love it!" Jennifer gushed. "When we hear of people being treated badly by those who are supposed to love them, it can sure be devastating. I definitely feel you should record that song with your band. So how the chorus go?"

"Here's what the chorus is, Jenn, " Marty replied, smiling. "'Harmony is what we need... To make this world a better place. Harmony is what we need... To bring peace to the human race. Can we ever all live in harmony?'"

"Hey, that sounds wonderful!" Jennifer gushed, smiling. "I'm sure the buddies from your band will really dig that! It's a pretty good way to give this world the wake-up call that it really needs. I also think our politicians could learn a thing or two."

Marty just smiled, as he leaned over to kiss Jennifer. At least spending time with his girlfriend would keep him from going insane with madness. He was also real excited to show his new song off to his buddies. His thoughts just drifted towards thinking of how Doc was managing with the repairs. He was anxious to get back to last week. 


	6. Chapter 6

_January 26, 1986  
12:15 PM PST_

"And that was Shaken by Eddie Money," the disc jockey on the radio was saying. "It has now been a week, since two of our beloved residents - Martin Seamus McFly and Dr. Emmett Lathrop Brown - have gone missing. Up next, The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and The News will be playing - which is Marty McFly's favourite song."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Marty gushed, as the radio station went into a commercial for Statler Toyota. "Well, Jennifer, what would you like to do? Maybe we can play Super Mario Brothers for a little while. It will maybe prevent me from going crazy."

"That's a good idea," Jennifer replied, smiling. "We can go set up the Nintendo, and I also brought along a big bag of M&Ms for us to much on. You know, I wonder what will happen to me, after you and Doc head back to last week. I feel so nervous."

"You'll probably transform into the Jennifer of the new timeline," suggested Marty, "and you won't have any memory of this event. Once we get back to last week, it will erase this timeline, and become replaced with the new timeline. At least, that's the way that I understand it. Then again, I'm really not an expert on this - like Doc is."

"You know, Marty," Jennifer said, smiling, "the whole concept of time travel can be very confusing. I wonder if Doc might let me go another trip sometime. I know my last time travel adventure didn't turn out so great, but I really would like to visit the '60s. I know the world politics of the time weren't so great, but I love the whole peace movement - including the music, and some of the psychedelic styles."

"I apologize once again for what happened on your last adventure," Marty said, as he felt bad about what Jennifer had to experience in the Biffhorrific reality. "It was not my idea to leave you behind, but Doc had assured me that you would be all right. I wanted to put up a bigger fight - but, to be honest, I was rather anxious to leave."

"It's really not your fault, Marty," Jennifer said, gently. "Anyway, it could've been a whole lot worse. I still can't believe that Huey Lewis's band was Huey Lewis and The Rebels. I think I much prefer Huey Lewis and The News, if you ask me."

"To be honest," Marty said, sighing, "I'm not sure I would really like to hear what Huey Lewis and The Rebels sounds like. I mean, I do like loud music - but I think their style would be a lot angrier. I sure wouldn't want to hear that side of Huey Lewis. I prefer songs like The Power of Love and The Heart of Rock and Roll."

"Yeah, I prefer Huey Lewis and The News myself," Jennifer replied. "I think people were generally more pessimistic in the Biffhorrific reality, though. I remember that Pink Floyd had a song called The Money Machine, which spoke out against Biff."

"Now, that song I might like to hear," Marty said, smiling. "I never was a big Floyd fan, but I would love to him them singing an anti-Biff song. Although, on the other hand, it is a little disturbing just how much attention Biff Tannen actually got."

"Yeah, even if it is negative attention," Jennifer replied, shaking his head. "I feel so ashamed of my actions, but I was just so lost and confused. I mean, I was just too confused by what what was going on - that I pretty much gave up caring."

"I can totally sympathize," Marty replied, as he put his arm around his girlfriend. "I am so happy that everything turned out fine in the end, though. Well, let's just play Nintendo for a little while. This should help to take our mind off of our problems for a little while. I can't wait for Doc to find out what's wrong with the display panals."

"I guess you're right, Marty," Jennifer said, sighing. "You know, I can't believe we're actually hiding out like this. Then again, I understand that we can't exactly explain to them about time travel. If more people knew about the time machine, that could be a recipe for disaster. We sure don't need Biff to found out about the time machine."

"Right," Marty replied, shuddering. "We already know what happened the last time that he he got his hands on the machine. It makes me wonder what will happen, by the time the year rolls around again. Like, would our younger selves still show up?"

"By then, it probably wouldn't be necessary," Jennifer replied, gently. "I remember seeing the print on that fax paper disappearing in front of me. When you decided not to race Needles, it really did change our history for the better. I have a feeling that our future will turn out to be much brighter. You really have matured a lot, Marty."

"Thank you," Marty replied. "I think spending time in the Old West has really helped me to change my attitude. I wonder how my life would've been different, if Doc had just warned me - and I never ended up spending any time in the Old West."

"I sometimes wonder why he didn't just warn you," commented Jennifer. "I'm sure that seeing how messed up our future is would have shocked you right into changing your attitude. Maybe he thought taking your son's place would give you a little bit of practice in learning how to not let people goad you into taking such risks."

"That might be it," Marty said, sighing. He began to set up the Nintendo system, as he said, "Well, it's best just to leave the past behind - and to move forward. It's nice that Doc actually managed to find true love, and to have two adorable little boys."

"Why don't you be Mario," Jennifer suggested, as she reached for one of the control panels, "and I'll be Luigi. Anyway, I'm just happy that you learned to not let Needles get under your skin anymore. I was so horrified, when you were fired in the future."

"Well, that's all in the past, now," Marty replied, as he started playing the game. He has played this game enough times, he has actually become very good at it.

oooooooooo

About an hour later, Marty was so engrossed in playing Super Mario Brothers, he no longer thought about the situation that he was in. Just then, someone was knocking on the door. Marty nearly jumped, as he was suddenly brought back to reality.

"It's finished, Marty," Doc said, as he slowly opened the door. "Oh, I see you're both playing Nintendo. I'm sure you'd like to finish your game, but we'd better get out of here as soon as possible. I was finally able to figure out just what was wrong with the display panals. It was so simple, I really can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner."

"What was it, Doc?" Marty asked, as he was curious. "I don't mind not being able to finish the game. It's not like I'll never be able to play this game again. I'm anxious to get back home, and to set everything straight again. Let's get back to the past!"

"So, what was wrong with the display panels?" Jennifer asked, as be began to shut down the Nintendo game system. "It's a good think Marty suggested that we play Super Mario Brothers? So, what is going to happen, after you two go back to last week? As I won't be going back with you, I do feel a little bit apprehensive."

"You'll change along with the rest of the timeline," Doc explained, "and, if everything goes according to plan, you won't remember missing Marty for a week. It's nothing you need to worry about. Anyway, I had to flip a switch - as I went to replace the light bulbs. I forgot to flip the switch back. That problem was so easy to fix."

"How could you forget to flip the switch back?" Marty asked, stunned. "I mean, you are a scientist - and you happen to have a very high IQ. How could possibly forget such a simple thing like pulling a switch. It just doesn't make sense to me."

"It's because I'm so used to working on tasks that are complex," replied Doc, "that I had forgotten all about the simple things. I can't believe I was making everything so complicated for myself, when it was a problem that could've been easily solved."

"Jesus, Doc," muttered Marty, "I never even thought about that. Well, I'm quite glad that you were finally able to figure out that very simple task. Well, Doc, I guess we'd just better get out of here - before my parents happen to come looking for me."

Doc nodded, as the two of them headed out to the garage. Marty was feeling a little nervous, as the two of them stepped into the DeLorean. As Doc turned on the time circuits, Marty gave a little sigh of relief. They would finally be able to go back.

"Let's see," Doc said, as he was deep in thought. "We came here shortly before one on January 18, so I think it would be a good idea to return at one. That way, I would be able to give Verne the video game that I picked up - and then we could go on our family trip. I would invite you along, but I kind of wanted it to be just our family."

"Right, I understand," Marty replied, nodding. "It's just nice to be able to spend time alone with your family - and I am feeling pretty exhausted, anyway. After we return home, I think I'm just going to take a little nap. Maybe I could come over tonight."

"Well, let's just head over to Hill Valley Park," Doc suggested, "and, after we return to last week, then I will be able to present Verne with his package right away."

Marty smiled at Doc, as his older friend drove off to Hill Valley Park. Marty felt quite jittery, as he was so excited about being able to return to the time he came from.

"All right, Marty," Doc warned, as he began hovering the DeLorean, "brace yourself for temporal displacement." Marty slowly took in a deep breath, as Doc accelerated the DeLorean to 88 miles per hour. The DeLorean then broke the time barrier. 


	7. Chapter 7

_January 18, 1986  
1:00 PM PST_

Marty's heart was really beating fast, as soon as the DeLorean broke the space-time barrier. He really hoped they finally returned to last week. He was feeling quite tired again - and the first thing he planned to do was head home and take a nap.

"Well, Doc," Marty said, sighing, "I hope we're back now. It was a little scary to be stuck in the timeline when we were gone for a week. It's certainly a good thing we were able to avoid detection from the rest of Hill Valley, or from our parents."

"I believe we're back, now," Doc replied, with a reassuring smile. "Looking back in hindsight, I guess I should have picked up the video game by myself. I guess you'll still want to take a nap this afternoon - while I take our family on a trip, right?"

"I could sure use a nice," Marty replied, just as he flashed his older friend a lopsided smile. "It would be a lie to say that I didn't enjoy this trip at all, though. It was a real interesting experience for me, and I wonder what'll happen, by the time we reach the same date through the natural course of time. I am feeling a little bit nervous."

"It's probably nothing you need to worry about," Doc said, gently. "Although, it's real possible that our younger selves might show up on that date - and you'll be sleeping with yourself and Jennifer again. It will be a very interesting event to experience."

"Whoa, this is heavy," Marty breathed. "You know, my older self did even mention something about not remembering his - my - earlier trip to the future. It just doesn't make sense to me, though. How could I forget all about that experience?"

"It's a condition of where you momentarily lose your memory of past events," Doc explained. "I guess it's some sort of self-correcting mechanism - where, if we were to retain our memories of this event, it might create a paradox. That's actually why you were able to converse with your older self with ease. Do you understand?"

Marty concentrated hard for a brief moment, then he said, "In a strange sort of way, it does make sense to me. I'm mostly very shocked at how we didn't pass out at the sight of each other, much like with what happened with Jennifer in 2015. I mean, it really was scary to see Jennifer hit the door like. We caught her just in time."

"It's not the event per se that causes one to faint," Doc explained. "It's the shock of coming into another version of yourself that can cause one to faint. Jennifer was so new to the concept of time travel, that this had caused her to pass out. It may be a little similar to how I passed out in 1955 - when you came running up to me, after I sent your other self back home. I really was a novice to time travel at that point."

"Yeah, you pretty much were," Marty said, quietly. "You were so confused about how I could know about you being in the past. Even when I first showed up at your house the week before, it quite took much to convince you I came from 1985. It was pretty scary that you didn't believe me, even though you already came up with the idea."

"Well, the idea was still so new to me," Doc replied. "I just didn't expect to see a real time traveller in the flesh, so it did come as a real shock. Also, I had no idea that my older self would use Western Union to send a letter. I wasn't real experienced, yet."

"I guess you have a point," Marty replied, smiling. "Well, let's get back to your place. I'm sure that Clara and the kids are anxiously waiting for you - and, well, I hope you have a great trip with your family. Family is very important, and I'm happy for you."

oooooooooo

When Doc finally pulled the DeLorean into the garage of his home, Marty breathed a huge sigh of relief. He really wasn't sure if he'd be up to going on another time travel trip soon. This last experience was just very exhausting to him, as were pretty much all of the other trips he had taken through time. It felt so good to be home again.

"I'm sure Verne would appreciate the game I bought for him," commented Doc. "He might not be able to appreciate how much work I went through to do this, but I think it's mostly my fault anyway - as I had forgotten all about thinking simple."

As Marty and Doc stepped inside, they spotted Clara making rice crispy squares in the kitchen - with Jules and Verne. Marty's stomach began to growl at the sight. He would have to come over for dinner tonight, as he knew his parents would be gone.

"Hey, Verne," Doc called out, smiling, "look what I bought for you." He then handed the bag with the video game in it to Verne. "You'll have to wait until tonight to play with it, though. I thought we could take a little trip to the zoo this afternoon. We can also eat out for supper tonight. How would you kids like to go to A&W tonight?"

"Thank you so much, Daddy!" Verne squealed, as he pulled the video game out from the bag. "This is just what I was hoping for! Going to the zoo sounds like great fun! I would love to be able to see the zebras, the giraffes, and the monkeys!"

"Yes, Daddy," Jules added, "this really sounds like a lot of fun. Thank you so much for planning this trip for us. I happen to really love animals, and I might like to get close to some of them. I want to see the hyenas. Is Marty coming along with us?"

"No, he isn't," Doc replied. "I thought we could could make this a special trip just for the family - and, anyway, our trip took us a little longer than we expected. So Marty was going to head home and take a little nap. He might head over tonight, though."

"Yeah, I'm feeling tired right now," Marty replied, as he tousled Jules' hair. "I could come over tonight, and we could maybe practice more on the skateboard. I'm not going to teach you to car-surf, though. That can be a very dangerous activity."

"To be perfectly honest," Clara added, "I'm really concerned about the idea of you car-surfing. I know it's not exactly my place to tell you what to do, though - as I'm really not your mother. I quite appreciate how you respect my wishes, though - as far as my children are concerned. For that, I am very pleased with you."

"Hey, no problem," Marty replied, smiling. "Well, you people have fun this afternoon - and I can come over in the evening." Turning to Verne, he asked, "Do you think you might let me have a shot at the game tonight, too? I'd like to check it out, too."

"Of course, Marty," Verne replied, as he smiled back. "It sounds like you've had a rather hard trip to pick up the game - so I think you deserve to play, as well. You are such a great friend to me, as well. I always love spending time with you."

"Thank you, Verne," Marty replied, as he lifted up Verne and hugged him. He was so pleased to see how happy Verne was. Maybe the trip wasn't a complete waste.

oooooooooo

As soon as Marty finally went back home, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was only an hour and a half since Doc called him, but over a day had passed within the time. As he stepped into the house, he realized how good it felt to finally be back home.

As he headed towards his bedroom, he decided to change into his pajamas and hop into bed. This latest time travel experience had taken a lot out of him. Just then, the telephone began to ring. Marty's heart skipped, as he wondered who it was.

"Hello," Marty said, as he picked up the receiver. He hoped it wasn't just some pesky telemarketer calling him. He had no time for that. "This is Marty McFly. Who is this?"

"Oh, hello, Marty!" gushed Jennifer. "I'm calling you from the mall. I was wondering if you had any plans or tonight? Both of my parents are going to be gone, and I really thought we might be able to get together tonight, and do something special."

"Well, I just got back from a you-know-what with Doc," Marty replied. "For right now, I'm pretty exhausted, and I wanted to take a little nap. To make a rather long story short, let's just say that I have a feeling next week Saturday will be a big day for us. For tonight, though, I was thinking we could maybe spend time at the Browns."

"I really was hoping you and I could spend time alone tonight," Jennifer said, with a little sigh of disappointment. "Still, I know how important Doc is to you - and it will be nice to spend some time with the kids. They are just such adorable children!"

"Yes, they sure are," Marty gushed. "The two of them do sometimes fight, though - but I think they really do love each other. Let's just say that Doc and I went to pick up a video game from Verne, but it really took us much longer than we expected."

"I guess I'll let you go, then," Jennifer replied. "You have a good rest, and I guess we can spend the evening with Doc tonight. I won't ask you about next week. I'm a little anxious to find out what will happen, though. Good bye, Marty! I really love you!"

"I love you, too," Marty replied, as he hung up the phone. He crawled into bed, as he realized just how nice it felt to be back at home. He closed his eyes, as he tried hard to clear his mind of everything that happened on his recent time travel adventure. It may be a long time before he would desire to take another time travel adventure. 


	8. Chapter 8

_January 26, 1986  
11:55 AM PST_

Marty Two was sure feeling nervous - as he was sitting in the living room with his counterpart, both Docs, and Clara. It felt strange that he spent the night sleeping with his younger self, and even interacting with his younger self felt unsettling.

"Thank you so much for the coffee cake, Clara," Marty One said, smiling. "That was very scrumptious. It's always great to be able to eat with you folks. We'll sure have to try our own hand at this." Turning to Jennifer, he added, "How does that sound?"

"It sounds wonderful," Jennifer replied, smiling. "You know, it's pretty scary to think that we're both almost adults, now. I'm not sure about you, but I will sure be sad to graduate from high school. I mean, I won't miss Strickland - but it's that the idea of making such a major step in our lives is pretty scary to think about."

"I know that my life has never been quite the same," Marty Two commented, "since the time that Doc unveiled the time machine to me. It's really nice that my family is much better off, after Dad actually dared to stand up to Biff. In a few ways, though, it does seem that my life has become a little more complex. Know what I mean?"

"Okay, everyone," Doc One said, as he he spoke up, "I really think it is almost time that I head outside, and start making more reparations to the DeLorean. It's almost about noon, and I should be able to get the display panels fixed in a few hours."

"Well, Doc," Marty One said, a little nervously, "I really hope we can get that fixed in a matter of hours. It's been almost a whole day, and..." Marty One stopped short, as he was quickly starting to fading away. Doc One was fading away, as well.

Marty Two felt speechless, as he saw what happened. Suddenly, he felt a great rush of memories entering into his brain. He suddenly remembered his earlier visit to this day, and he now remembered what he did on this day, both times.

"Oh, man," Marty mumbled, as this was too much to take in. He leaned back against the couch, and closed his eyes. "I'm afraid I'm going to faint any minute now. I now remember everything that happened within the last day, from both perspectives."

"Everything will be fine, Marty," Jennifer said, as she gently placed her arm around Marty. "If you're here now, then I'm quite sure you managed to work out whatever problem you and Doc were dealing with before." After pausing for a brief minute, she added, "Now, just take a deep breath - and then slowly let it out. You'll be okay."

Marty took in a deep breath, as he tried to calm himself. He slowly let the breath out, as Jennifer gave his shoulders a gentle squeeze. He figured he might need to take a little nap that afternoon. He felt so overwhelmed by what all happened.

"Emmett and Marty," Clara said, with concern. "I think you both need to lie down and take a little nap. It looks like the two of you could really use a good rest for a little while. It good to know that you were finally able to fix your problem last week."

"Well, Jennifer," Marty commented, as he hugged his girlfriend, "I think we can have dinner at Francesca's Italian Diner tonight. I dunno about you, but I really am in the mood for Italian food - and it will sure be a wonderful date for the two of us."

"Aww, Marty, that's so sweet," Jennifer gushed, as the two of them headed over to the guest room. "Yeah, it's nice how they have the lights dimmed at the restaurant - and it sure does add to the nice romantic mood." As Marty slipped into bed, Jennifer leaned over to tuck him in, and kiss his forehead. "Have a nice rest, Marty."

As soon as Jennifer left the room, Marty closed his eyes. He tried his best to clear the thoughts from his mind, so that he could get some sleep. The last 24 hours may be just as much of an important day for him as November 12 of 1955 was. Then again, maybe not. Nothing could compete with November 12 of 1955, except for maybe the fifth of that month - which was the day that Doc invented the flux capacitor.

oooooooooo

Later that night, Marty and Jennifer decided to eat out at Francesca's Italian Diner - and he ordered his usual meal of all-you-can-eat stuffed shells and garlic bread. He found the restaurant to be a perfect place for a nice and romantic dinner.

"You know what's strange about this whole thing, Jenn," Marty asked, as he smiled at his girlfriend. "It's strange that I got to spend the same day with you twice. It felt so strange that both the present me and the past me actually slept with you together."

"It was strange to watch the younger version of you and Doc fade out right in front of me. It just seemed like a surreal experience. So you said that the only problem was that Doc forgot to flip a switch? In a way, I'm glad that he did forget about it."

"Well, I'm quite sure it was fun for you," Marty teased. "I don't think it was very fun for Doc, though. He had to waste so many hours figuring out how to solve something that was right in front of his nose all along. Let's not rag on him too much about that incident, though. I mean, he feels embarrassed enough about it already."

"I think you're right, Marty," Jennifer said, smiling. "Well, enough about Doc. What about you and me? It's strange to think we already know what we'll be naming our kids. I just hope Marty Jr ends up being more confident in the new timeline."

"I'm very sure that he will," Marty said, softly. "I'll really see to it that I raise him up to be a confident person, and it's pretty nice that I learned to not let people provoke me be calling me a 'chicken'. It's scary to think of what my life could be like now."

"Right," Jennifer said, nodding, "and I'm sure that hearing about what had happened to the other Martin shocked you, as well. I mean, it's quite sad to think that the poor young fella actually got stabbed in the saloon. I'm sure it was quite heartbreaking to Seamus. It's really funny how your parents decided to name you after him."

"I was vaguely aware of having an ancestor named Martin," Marty explained, "as well as an ancestor named Seamus. I just didn't know too much about them, though, until I went back to the Old West to rescue Doc. I knew that Seamus and Maggie settled here, though. Seamus was very nice, but Maggie sure did seem a little more aloof."

"Well, anyway," Jennifer said, smiling, "it sure was nice being able to sleep with you last night... both of you! It's not quite everyday that we get an opportunity like that. How are you hoping with being about remember everything that happened, now?"

"I'm sure I'll get used to it," Marty said, after a brief pause. "It does seem so surreal to me, but I thinking taking that little rest has helped. It's so amazing how even Doc was so overwhelmed, and he's the scientist. It must've been too much even for him to take. I guess both of him did sleep with Clara last. I wonder how that went."

"Well, as much as that was," Jennifer replied, "it's nice that things are finally back to normal. You're not giving up on time travel, are you? In spite of what had happened the last time I joined you on a time travel trip, I quite might like to take another trip through time. I know it's not your fault that I was stuck in the awful world."

"I still feel a little bad about it, though," Marty said, quietly. "Anyway, yeah, I would love for you and I to take a trip, sometime. It would just be great if you and I could go back in time, one of these days. I'm guessing you'd like to go back to the '60s?"

"Yes, how did you guess?" Jennifer asked, amazed. Then she added, "Oh, I think I know. Some other version of me must have told you about that. This is rather one other thing about time travel that really seems strange. Well, here's our meal."

"Here is your thing of stuffed shells and garlic bread," the waitress said, as she came over to the table. "I guess the two of you are having another romantic night out, eh? Well, I hope you enjoy your dinner. Would you two like refills on your drinks?"

"Yes, please," Marty replied, as he smiled at the waitress. Turning back to Jennifer, he added, "It's rather nice being able to eat out like this. You know, I would love to visit the 1960s myself. You know, I don't really remember that decade at all."

"Well, we were just born in 1968," Jennifer replied, "so, of course, we wouldn't quite remember. Anyway, I think time travel has brought us closer together. It is just like we have this little secret, and I think we will have a wonderful future together."

"I'm so glad that I learned to not let being called a 'chicken' get to me," Marty said, soiftly, "and I will see to it that we don't get married in the Chapel O' Love. The day that we get married, I will make sure that we have a nice big wedding. I can assure you that it will be one very day for us. It sure would be a day for us to remember." 


End file.
